The List

[Ashkiro]

Perhaps you've seen the Movie, "The Bucket List", with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nickleson. If you haven't, it's about two middle aged men whom are terminally ill and decide to experience and live life in their last few months like they never have before. So they make a list on all the things they want to do, before they die. Some of you may even have a list of your own. We all know life is precious and there is so much in this world to experience, much to see. I love the quote from another movie, "Are you living, or are your existing?" A good friend and I were discussing all the things we want to do, the places we want to see, with Gods Will. Here's the kicker while she had so many things on that list (things that seemed trivial in my eyes), mine could be counted on one hand. Apart from traveling, visiting the holy places, getting married and having kids/family related, and career related, there is not much else. Thinking about it, and life itself that really is not much, but than I don't have the desire to do the rest, whatever that maybe. Sadly it in a way sounds lame. Life is only lived once, and there is much to experience. But than again, what more is there to experience. Are we living or are we existing? The latter applies to me at this moment. Or does it. I am not quite sure.

[Warrior of Light]

Asalaam caleykum,

Originally posted by Ashkiro:

Are we living or are we existing?

I believe in living as you enjoy/ use wisely every minute you have.Existing is like being asleep;you are alive, you are physically there but nothing is happening in your life at that moment but everyone around you is moving on with life one way or the other.

 

I know for sure though we go through phases of living and merely existing.. just try to make living the most dominant one.

 

Quoting a wise one: Live today as if there is no tomorrow.

 

and another

Be the change to the world.

fiamanillah

WOL

[Ashkiro]

W/Salam,

 

I agree with your defination of living, and those quotes are some of my favorites. What I was really getting at was the belief that there is so much to experience and do in this life, when really being blessed with the essentials like family, love, health, and stable livelihood is enough, and your not missing much beyond that. .

[-Lily-]

Ashkiro, I agree with you & that does not make you boring/lame at all. There are wonders even in the small ordinary things in life.

 

The way I see it, it’s a lie that you can have it all & be it all. Life is not buying everything in the store. You have to choose what’s truly important to you and follow it. And anyone who has the chance to do so is quiet blessed.

 

Like WOL said, we go through phases of living & exisiting and life is bound to get static at times.

[Malika]

My understanding of 'am alive' is the experiences I have with sight, sound, taste, touch, emotional feelings, thoughts, relationships etc. Therefore I must be living every minute of my life. Appreciating the blessing of Allah has help a lot at how I view life and living. Existing is a crime against one self, unless one is suffering from mental illness. Intaa kale, it’s just a sign of being out of touch with what is what – life!

 

I think there is an element of high expectations that our lives should be filled with exciting and wonderful events if not then it’s not worth living... but alas! We forget that even a shower alone can be such an exciting experience, when the blessing of Allah [water] touches you tired body, how refreshed one feels? Or when quenched your thirst with a drink, the rahma that comes with that experience is overwhelming most times. Have you ever catches a glimpsed of the sky at sunset, and you hold your breath of a minute, how beautiful and amazingly wonderful it looked, or when woken up by the sound of birds chirping, or your child’s laughter! Just the mere factor,one has woken up safe and sound,is a sign of living, with all that a thought of perhaps never ever seeing or experiencing that again.

 

Who knows if you would have another day to feel, experience that again?

 

Waiting to live life? Why hold life back, with perhaps and maybes of tomorrow?

 

 

Ps.I had a phase of merely existing and that was during the dark days of postnatal depression, subhanallah! I truly believe unless one is mentally ill then there is no room for merely existing. Life is too precious to be passed on without notice.

 

Embrace it sis![erm pardon my rumblings]